Jan's Word Report: Table

Step-by-Step: Create a Table

What you will learn:

to create a table with Insert Table button
to resize a table
to resize column width
to resize row height
to sort table rows
to center table on the page
to center text vertically in the cell
to AutoFormat a table

Start with: , blank document

Create Table: Table button

Use the Table button on the Standard toolbar to create a table with 2 columns and 8 rows. (Click on button. Drag across 2 columns and down 8 rows. The palette will expand as you drag.)
Enter the text as shown below. (Isn't the author in most interesting company?)
Don't worry about the letters with accent marks if your keyboard does not make it easy to type these.

Text to type for the table

Size: Drag

Resize the first column by moving the pointer over the right-hand vertical edge until it turns into the resize shape, then drag to the left. Make the column just wide enough to hold the names.
Repeat for the second column.

Sort

Select the second column.
From the Tables and Borders bar, click on the Sort Ascending button.
Rows are kept together as the values in column 2 are sorted. But the top row is not sorted! Any guesses as to why? The Sort button assumes that there is a Header row, containing labels for the columns. You certainly don't want your column labels sorted into the middle of the table! So, we need a way to tell Word that we have no labels.

Text that is not in a table can be sorted, also.
Undo.
With column 2 selected, select the menu Table | Sort . The Sort dialog appears.
Note the two radio buttons at the bottom.
Drop the list in the Sort by box. It only shows Column 2, since that is the only column selected. The dialog shows that you can sort on three different columns. Just what you need for alphabetizing names by Last Name, First Name, Middle Name. But we will need to make a change or two.
Click on Cancel.
Click in a cell that isn't selected to remove the selection from column 2.
Move the cursor to the top row and insert a new row above it.
In the new row type First Name in the first cell and Last Name in the second cell.
Cell is too narrow to hold the text:
Widen the column.
You may have to drag the right edge of the table before Word will let you resize the first column.
Open the Sort dialog again. Look at the list in the Sort by and Then by boxes. All columns should be listed.

You can choose to sort by up to three columns in Word.
Set Sort by to Column 2 Text Ascending and Then by to Column 1 Text Ascending. This will sort on Last Name first and then on the First Name, which is the normal way to sort names.
Click the radio button Header row to select it.

The names change in the drop lists to use your column labels instead of column numbers. Neat!
Click on OK. Check the sorting - on Last Name and then on First Name

Format Column Headings

Select the first row and apply Heading 4 (just type the name in the Styles box since it won't show up in the list yet).

Word 97 uses Arial in Heading 4 but Word 2000 uses the same font that the Normal style uses.
Widen the columns: Move your mouse over the right border of Column 1 until the pointer changes to the Resize shape. Double click. The AutoFit feature resizes the column just wide enough for the widest text. Repeat for Column 2.
You can also drag the column borders. This is a better choice if you need some cells to have more than one line of text.

Only one row changed size:
If you drag a column edge while a row is selected, you will enlarge only that row! You don't have to unselect the row. Just drag from an unselected section of the table.

Format Row Height

Word 97 and later versions are a bit different about how to set cell height and width.

Select all the rows of names in the table (Rows 2 - 9).
You will set the row height. Word 97 and Word 2000/2002 work differently here.

Dialog - Cell Height and Width - Word 97 From the menu select Table | Cell Height and Width...

On the Row tab:
Height = at least 24 pts.
Alignment = Left.

Dialog- Table Properites - Row tab From the menu select Table | Table Properties

On Row tab:
Height to at least 24 pts.

Click on OK to close the dialog. All text rows are taller.

Center Text & Table

You will make the text float in the middle of the cell vertically. Again, Word 97 and Word 2000/2002 handle this differently.

Align text in vertical center of cell:

With the same text rows still selected, from the Tables and Borders bar, click on Center Vertically.

From the Tables and Borders Bar, select, Align Center Left.
Select the entire table and click on the Center button on the Formatting bar to center the table on the page.

Table AutoFormat

With the cursor in the table but nothing selected, click on the Table AutoFormat button on the Tables and Borders bar.
Click on each of the Formats in the list and look at the Preview. Notice that you can use only parts of the formatting, if you wish, by checking only some of the boxes.
Uncheck the boxes for First column, Last row, and Last column.
These are useful when these parts need to be formatted differently from the rest of the table. Totals columns or rows are usually formatted at least a little differently.
Select the format Colorful 2 or Table Colorful 2 for your table and click OK or Apply. Lots of color is applied to your table and it is back on the Left.

Notice the new styles that show in the Styles and Formatting Task Pane. You have a basic grid style and one for this particular style: Pattern 20% with yellow foreground and white background.
Center the table on the page again.

Finish

Open the Header and type your name, 2 spaces, the date, TAB, from the menu Insert | Field , select FileName , TAB, Word project 4 .
Check Print Preview. Make corrections if needed.
Save as table1.doc on your Class disk in the folder word project4.
How to handle a full disk
Print.

Project 4: ReportTable - Button